For almost 35 years Loaves & Fishes has worked to help feed those who are hungry in Clarksville-Montgomery County from the Loaves & Fishes “Soup Kitchen” in the First Presbyterian Church Activities Center at the corner of Foster and North 3rd Streets.
The nonprofit organization serves from 150 to over 200 meals six days a week which equals to close to 50,000 meals each year. Loaves & Fishes also has a local Food Distribution Center that donates thousands of pounds of food to around 40 other churches and agencies in Montgomery and surrounding counties.
Meals are served at Loaves & Fishes Monday-Saturday from 10:30 a.m. until noon and donations are accepted between 8 a.m. and noon Monday-Saturday at the 215 Foster St. location. If you are not able to make it to Loaves & Fishes just let them know they will be happy to pick up your food donations. The agency also recovers some food from grocery stores and restaurants so it doesn’t go into the landfill.
“Loaves & Fishes is an outreach to people who are dealing with food insecurity,” Susan Chapman, Executive Director of Loaves & Fishes said. “We are primarily run by volunteers so we are always needing volunteers. If you have an expertise and would like to help out we would like to hear from you.”
Each year the organization sponsors fundraising and food donation events like Louisiana Saturday Night and the Jingle Bell Food Drive. The Jingle Bell Food Drive, which ran through November and December of this year, collected an estimated 15,000 pounds of food.
Coming up February 26, Loaves & Fishes along with Urban Ministries will join forces to host the annual Empty Bowls-Hope Not Hunger event.
To learn more about the work of Loaves & Fishes in the community, to donate, or become a volunteer, email info@loavesandfishestn.org, call Susan Chapman at 931-216-7275 or visit loavesandfishestn.org.
“Giving Grace is a series focusing on local non-profit groups working to make a difference in the Clarksville community, sponsored by Grace Dental.